Former North Carolina men’s basketball coach Bill Guthridge died on Tuesday night, UNC officials confirmed. He was 77.
Sad news. Former UNC Coach Bill Guthridge passed away last night at age 77 w/ family at his side. 33 yrs on UNC bench. In our prayers.
— Carolina Basketball (@UNC_Basketball) May 13, 2015
Guthridge doesn’t get enough credit for leading the Tar Heels through a rough patch. Guthridge took over when Dean Smith retired after 36 seasons in October 1997.
He led his first UNC team to the 1998 Final Four and had two players, Vince Carter and Antawn Jamison, selected in the top five picks of the NBA draft. Guthridge also took another UNC team to the Final Four in 2000. Guthridge went 80-28 from 1997 to 2000 before retiring in June 2000.
